Ed and Ellie's Gravy Journal
by Spiderlass
Summary: Because of a school project, Ed is working with the strange British girl, Ellie. Can he get her to open up? EdxOC, EddxEddy
1. Late Again

"ED! Hurry it up already, Lumpy!"

"Sorry, Eddy! The gravy was mushy today!"

"What on earth does that- You ate gravy for breakfast today didn't you?"

"I love chickens!"

"Ugh…"

Once again, it seemed as the Eds would be late for 1st period English again. How they all managed to be in all the same classes for their junior year (and their third year in a row) was beyond everyone, including the administrative staff, but they were, and unless they directly caused the classroom to explode, or one of them requested a schedule change, they were stuck like that.

As their teacher, Miss Thatcher, had her back turned and was writing on the board, the three teens attempted to slip past and get into their desks before she noticed.

"Mr. Gray, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. West, you're late again."

As per usual, they were unsuccessful.

"Crap! Eddy, what do we do?" Double D whisper-yelled.

"Chill, Sockhead! I got this!" Eddy stood up. "Good morning, Miss Thatcher! You're looking lovely as usual this fine morning! We were late because… uh… Our neighbor Rolf's chickens were on the loose!"

"WHAT? You dare bring the son of a shepherd into your buffoonery?"

"Mr. Bachmeier, sit down this instant! And how did you even get a pitchfork on campus! I want you to bring that to the principal when this period is over! And Mr. West, as I've said before, I don't care if you and your friends are tardy anymore, you're late so often that I've stopped noticing without you attempting to sneak in. So please stop angering Mr. Bachmeier, it's really annoying."

Eddy laughed nervously as he and the other two Eds took their seats.

The young teacher sighed. The other teachers had told her that the Eds were trouble (well, Eddy was trouble. Ed was somewhat dim and Eddward was sadly too attached to associate himself with better influences), but she didn't think it was their fault. No, Felicity Thatcher never blamed the student. She knew that Eddy had a somewhat dysfunctional home life from the middle school teachers, and from the same people she had learned that Eddward barely had anything resembling a home life, as his parents were both busy college professors. As for Ed, well, he was Ed; there wasn't much to be done there.

Felicity hoped that she could help the boys, if only because it was her duty as a teacher.

"Ahem. If there are no more- Mr. Stone, put down the spitball launcher- If there are no more interruptions, I have something for all of you."

Miss Thatcher put a large stack of multi-colored spiral journals on her desk, panting at the weight of the stack (bodybuilder she was none).

"Starting today and lasting until the end of the school year, each of you will be assigned a partner. Every group will receive one of these notebooks, and in them you will record… well, whatever you like. And don't worry; the only people allowed to read them are you, your partner, and I."

The three Eds glanced at each other worriedly. Though they were notably closer to the other kids in their neighborhood after the incident with Eddy's older brother, things weren't exactly rainbows and butterflies between them.

"When I call you and your partner's name, please send someone up to get a notebook. Kevin Stone and Jonny Clarke. Nazz Williams and Marie Kanker. May and Lee Kanker. Eddward Sullivan and Eddy West."

The two teens glanced at each other with a mix between relief for themselves and fear for their dim-witted friend. Double D shot a look of sympathy towards Ed as he got up to get the notebook.

"Ed Gray and Eleanor Nielson."

Suddenly, everyone in the room froze. Double D nearly dropped the blue notebook in his hands.

It was obvious what everyone (excluding Miss Thatcher, Ed, and Eleanor) were thinking at that moment.

_Oh god. She just sent him to his death, didn't she?_

Suddenly, a quick screech at the back of the room was heard. Everyone turned as the punk British girl got out of her chair to get the notebook, silently watching her, terrified of what the dark girl might do to the poor idiot.

Oddly, she went down the aisle farthest from where she sat after retrieving the journal.

That aisle was the aisle Ed sat in.

"Hello, my name is Ed." The dimwitted boy said cheerfully.

"… I'm Ellie. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

The sound of approximately twenty-two jaws dropping was an unfamiliar sound, as was Eleanor's voice. Those were the first words she had ever said in the entire time she'd been in the class.

**A/N: Ah, Ed Edd n Eddy. Now this was the Cartoon Network I grew up with! A few notes:**

**This takes place (as you can probably tell) in the Eds' junior year. Ed may be a bit OOC, but that's because I can't write such funny lines as the original writers of the show.**

**Felicity Thatcher is named after another childhood memory: Felicity, the 1770's American Girl doll. **

**Ellie is my EEnE character. She's… somewhat rough around the edges.**

**That's it for now! Hasta luego, amigos!**


	2. Intros and Hallway Meetings

_**NOTE: **_**Bold typeface is Ed writing.**

_Italic typeface is Ellie writing._

Normal typeface is Miss Thatcher writing.

_**Tuesday, September 16**_

**Hello, my name is Ed Gray. I love chickens, and gravy, and aliens!**

_Hullo. My name is Eleanor Nielson, but I prefer Ellie. In fact, if you call me Eleanor, I will turn you inside out._

Miss Nielson, please don't make threats in your journal.

_Fine. I'm from England, I like punk and alternative, and I suppose that Ed and I have an interest in science fiction in common._

Thank you, Miss Nielson. Mr. Gray, what kinds of music do you like?

**Um… I don't know.**

_Well, do you like The Fray? The All-American Rejects? Paramore? _

**I don't know those people. Are they nice?**

_Well, their songs are all pretty good. But let's move on, shall we? What's your favorite movie, Ed?_

**Splice.**

_Really? That's one of my favorites as well! _

Well, it seems like you and Mr. Gray have quite a bit in common, Miss Nielson. Were your friends in England interested in monster movies as well?

_Not… especially, monster movies were more my thing. Ella was more into actual science and books than anything, even boys, and Elle was always coming up with ridiculous get-rich-quick schemes that usually backfired horrifically._

**Just like me, Double D, and Eddy!**

… _Who the bollocks is Double D?_

Language, Miss Nielson. Double D is Eddward Sullivan's nickname.

**Get it? Cause he's got two D's in his name!**

_Yes, I realized that, thank you Ed. It seems like an odd nickname, though. Then again, there are three Eds living in one neighborhood, so what do I know? How did it happen that you all ended up as friends, anyway? You're all so… diverse._

**Eddy and me were friends first. We met when we were around four years old. Double D moved in, and Eddy tried to scam him!**

… _And he's friends with you two because…?_

**Cosmic intervention! It has been willed by the universe!**

…

…

**What?**

_Ed, I'm being as kind as I can when I ask you this: Have your parents ever considered getting you checked out?_

**Yep!**

… _Oi vey._

**Bless you!**

"Alright class, that's it for today, I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Finally! Let's get outta this hellhole!" Eddy yelled, sprinting out of the trio's eighth period math class.

"Wait for me, Eddy 'ol pal!" Ed called, running out after them.

"Oh, gentlemen, please wait!" Double D moaned, chasing after his taller friends, only to slam into the latter's still backside and be knocked onto the floor of the nearby hallway.

"Ed, is there a reason that you're- Oh, my."

There was a _very _good reason to stop all of a sudden. Three reasons, to be precise.

Their names were Lee, Marie, and May Kanker.

"_Hiiiyaaa, boys!" _ The girls said in unison.

"Oh… drat."

Suddenly, someone poked Double D's back.

"Hello?"

"Oi. There a problem here or something?"

Ed turned around. "Hi Ellie!"

"Hullo, Ed. Is there any particular reason that you lot are blocking the hallways?"

Ed was about to answer, but was nearly pushed face-first into a locker by Lee.

"Who the hell are you?" The red-haired girl asked uncouthly.

"No one of consequence." Ellie replied coolly.

"Oh, a wiseass, eh? Get outta here, short stack."

"I'd love to, but as you're in my way, I can't exactly leave, now can I?"

"That's it! Prepare to hurt, munchkin!"

Ellie sighed. She didn't particularly feel like a brawl at that moment, but as this cow didn't seem to be open to reason, she supposed it was the only way she could go home at this point.

"Ed, do me a favor: Take my hat and my bag. Also, you and your mates- I'm guessing you two blokes are Double D and Eddy, a pleasure- should probably go get at least ten meters- that's around thirty-two feet, by the way- away from here."

The tall boy nodded, taking the articles and his friends away from the site of the brawl.

Around three minutes later, the red-head's curly locks were tied to her feet, and her two sisters were carrying her off as fast they could. The three boys (luckily the only witnesses to this fight) had their jaws on the ground.

"Well, if that's it, I'll be off!" The petite dirty-blond commented, taking her bag and placing her hat back on her head.

"Bye, Ellie! See ya tomorrow!" Ed called, waving.

Ellie hesitated for a minute, then she issued a two-fingered wave, not turning to face him. "Yeah… I'll see you, then."

When she was out of earshot, Eddy elbowed his taller friend.

"Why's she bein' so dang nice to you? Ya just met her!"

"We both love monster movies, Eddy!"

"So? If anything, that cutie should be all over someone cool. Someone with style!"

"You mean like Kevin?"

"NO! I MEANT ME, YA IDJIT! WHAT ARE YA?"

"E-Eddy, don't start fighting in the middle of the hallway! I can't afford another detention!"

**A/N: Ugh… it's getting too late… Ah, what do I need to sleep for, it's summer!**

**Sorry these are kinda short… I'll try to make the next one longer, promise!**


	3. Arguments and Denials

Friday, September 19

_Ugh, I hate this day…_

**Huh? But it's only first period! Did something happen?**

I agree with Mr. Gray, Miss Nielson. Is something wrong?

_It's nothing, I just had a fight with my mum this morning, and it's put me in a bit of a sour mood._

Ah, I see. Well, though it's disheartening to hear that you and your mother had a disagreement this morning, you really shouldn't let it get you so irritated.

_It's not really the fact that we had a fight that's getting me so out of sorts; it's more that my mum and I have been fighting quite a lot since we moved to the United States. We didn't fight so often back in England. _

**Aw, Ellie, don't worry! Just remember that your mom loves you, no matter what!**

_Oh, Ed, if only I knew that for sure…_

"ED! GET BACK HERE!"

"AAAH! ANGRY SARAH BAD FOR ED!"

The tall teen peeled out of the house, trying his best to avoid the rage of his little sister. He probably should have realized that a sign that said "DO NOT TOUCH. That means you, Ed!" was a pretty clear warning, but he didn't, and now Sarah's favorite glass unicorn was in pieces and now she wanted him dead. Thus, his only option was to get the hell out of the house (and probably the cul-de-sac) until around dinnertime.

Of course, in his haste, he didn't actually pay attention to where the heck he was going, and now he was a bit lost.

"Um… crap. Where am I?"

Silence. Then, "Penny for your thoughts, mate?"

Ed turned. To his surprise, Ellie was sitting on the front porch of a pastel yellow house he remembered that was between the entrance to the shopping area and the cul-de-sac, staring at him, looking slightly amused.

"Ellie? What are you doing here?"

She gestured broadly to the lone homestead. "I live here. This is my house, and it has been since I moved halfway 'round the world. What about you? Any particular reason you were running and panicking, or were you just spazzing out for the hell of it?"

Ed rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Er… I kinda broke something my sister really liked, and I ran too far when I freaked out and she was screaming at me."

"Ah. Well, sounds like that'd be a pretty good reason to spazz, then."

"Ellie? Who's there, love?" A woman's voice called. Unlike Ellie's, it sounded more American, but it was not without the hint of an English accent.

"Just a friend of mine!"

The screen door creaked slightly as it opened, revealing a woman who looked startling like Ellie, but much older, at least thirty-seven. She had the same hair color and facial structure, but her brown eyes were far less cynical than Ellie's gray-green ones. Her long hair was pulled into a messy bun, and had a pale blue apron on over jeans and a grey shirt.

"Ah, hello there, young man. I'm Valerie, Ellie's aunt. It's so nice to meet one of my dear niece's friends. Thank you so much for your kindness towards her. I was so worried that attitude of hers would scare all her classmates off!"

"Aunt Val! Quit over sharing!"

"Fine, fine. Oh! How rude of me, I didn't even ask your name, did I?"

"My name is Ed."

Valerie's eyes widened for a second, but then resumed to normal size as she smiled. "Oh, so _you're _the famous Ed. Ellie talks about you quite a lot, dear!"

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad." Ellie said quickly, attempting to dispel any doubts.

"Why don't you come in, Ed? I'm afraid Diana- Ellie's mother, that is- isn't home at the moment, but if you're not busy, I'd be more than happy to get you some tea, or soda, or whatever you might like."

"Sure!"

The three talked for hours on end, until Ed realized that it was far past time for him to go home, and his mother would be going into a fit of worry if he wasn't home soon. After saying their goodbyes, the tall boy headed off towards the cul-de-sac and whatever fate his little sister had planned for him.

"What a kind young man. Though I must say, Ellie, he's not exactly the kind of person you would personally choose for a friend. He's far too… emotionally pronounced."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, Elle didn't ever seem to be concerned with much outside of making money off other children and evading schoolyard bullies and pests, and Ella never showed more emotional range than an android in one of those science fiction movies you love so much. Ed seems to be more willing to show emotion in his speech and behavior than any of your old friends ever did. At least, that's how it seems to me."

Ellie scoffed. "Well, you're pretty accurate in your readings of people. But I for one think that a deviation from the norm is a welcome occurrence from time to time. While Ed may not be the exact characterization I would normally pursue a friendship with, he is someone I consider a preferable companion and confidante."

Valerie gave her niece a kind but stern glance. "Are you completely sure that you simply consider Ed to be those things, Ellie? You don't see him as anything more than just that?"

Ellie's eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"

"Have you ever considered that perhaps, and I'm only suggesting this, you may desire more than simply friendship with Ed?"

Ellie's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed, though whether it was from anger or embarrassment was hard to tell. "A-Are you suggesting that you believe I have… h-have… _f-feelings _for Ed?" She spluttered angrily.

"He _is _a boy, darling, and you were the first of your friends to become interested in the opposite sex."

"SO? In no way does that mean that I desire a… a… _r-romantic _relationship with him! Why the bloody hell would you even ask me that? AUGH!"

"Fine, then, _Megara_, why don't you get washed up for dinner, then?"

Ellie obliged her aunt, but not without some angry muttering on her way. Valerie caught, "Me? And Ed? Preposterous!" and "What the bloody 'ell's she getting at, anyway?"

Valerie laughed softly. "I never thought I see the day that someone would start to break the icy walls of my niece's heart. Good on you, Ed."

**A/N: Aaaand chapter three's done! Tomorrow I'll be heading to New Mexico to visit relatives. I'll try to get as many chapters as I can done, but don't get your hopes up!**


	4. Double D's Denials

_**Note: For the sake of moving the plot, this chapter's journals will be those of Double D and Eddy.**_

_**In Journal:**_

_Italics are Double D._

**Bold is Eddy.**

As always, normal is Miss Thatcher.

"I hate Mondays."

"No, really? I never would have guessed, Eddy!"

"Your sarcasm is not at all welcome, Double D." The former scam artist grumbled.

The three boys were heading to their first period class as usual, though unusually, they weren't late this time. In fact, they were early.

They were nearly to the door of the English classroom when someone slammed into Ed's back.

"Hello!" Ed said cheerfully, turning around to see who had bumped into him.

"My 'pologies, Ed. Didn't see you there." Ellie mumbled, not seeming to be fully awake.

"Hey, Ellie! Are you okay?"

The British girl yawned. "M'fine. Just... just a bit out of it this morn... snore..."

Somehow, Ellie had managed to fall asleep while both standing up and in mid-sentence.

"Oh, my. Seems she's right about exhausted."

Ed grabbed the partially unconscious girl by the hand and started to drag her towards the classroom. "C'mon, Ellie! We're almost to the room! You can sleep on the desk instead!"

"Nuuuuuuu..." Ellie moaned, taking steps despite her protests.

Eddy grumbled something about the dumb ones having all the luck and stalked inside the classroom.

Double D was about to go inside himself when a voice behind him asked him a question.

"Wow, Ed and Ellie sure are chummy, aren't they?"

Edd turned around. Nazz was smiling, seeming amused.

"Hello, Nazz. To answer your question, I suppose that they have become rather close friends in the last couple of weeks, haven't they?"

"Um, sure, but that's not exactly what I meant, Double D."

Double D frowned, unsure of what she was getting at. "Then what did you mean?"

"I meant, Ed and Ellie are sort of acting like a couple, huh?"

Edd gasped, extremely shocked at what the blonde had just suggested. "Wh-What? Ed and Ellie? A couple? Why, that's preposterous! They're just good friends, that's all!"

Nazz smiled warily. "I dunno, dude. I mean, they were holding hands just a minute ago."

"Th-That wasn't- They weren't holding hands! Ellie was on the verge of falling asleep, and Ed was simply helping her to get inside the classroom before she passed out! There was nothing even remotely romantic about it!"

Nazz rolled her eyes, sighing. As she moved inside the classroom, the blonde commented, "Whatever you say, dude. But you have to admit, they make an adorable couple!"

Double D scoffed at the suggestion. _Ed and Ellie? Those two, dating? That's the most preposterous thing I've ever heard in my entire life! And Ed is one of my best friends, so that's saying something! Saying those two are going out is like saying that Eddy and I are-_

Edd stopped mid-thought. Where was his train of thought going with that?

_Did... Did my sub-conscious just attempt to suggest that I have... that I am... _attracted _to one of my close childhood friends? A male friend, no less? Where on earth did that particular thought come from? I must not be getting enough rest or something... There is no possible way that I... that I'm... yes, that's definitely not possible._

Just as Double D had that thought, the "one minute to tardy" bell rang, causing the scientifically-minded young man to jump and run inside the classroom in a hurry.

Monday, September 22

**Hey, Sockhead, what took ya so long that you were almost late to class?**

_Erm... Nazz and I had an... interesting conversation that... made me lose myself in thought for a bit, that's all._

**WHAT? You and Nazz were talking? Ya didn't ask her out or nothin', did ya? 'Cuz I really don't fell like beatin' ya up today!**

Mr. West, please don't threaten Mr. Sullivan in your journal. Or outside the journal, for that matter.

_Thank you, Miss Thatcher. And Eddy, I didn't ask Nazz out on a date, as I realize your feelings for her. However, I'm quite sure she's interested in Kevin, so please don't get your hopes up. In any case, what we were actually speaking about was Ed and Ellie._

**Huh?**

_It seems that Nazz may be under the impression that Ed and Ellie are on the verge of dating._

***Illegible scribbles***

_Eddy? Are you alright?_

Mr. Sullivan, is Mr. West prone to seizures?

**WHAT DA FACK? ED AND ELLIE? DATING? THAT'S THE MOST FACKING STUPID BULLSHIT I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!**

_Oh, my._

Mr. West! For the thirtieth time, please watch your language!

After Eddy's little outburst in English class, the day proceeded normally. After saying their goodbyes at the bus stop, each Ed headed towards their respective homes.

"Mother, Father, I'm home from school!" Double D called as he shut the front door, removing his shoes as to not track mud or dirt on the spotless carpet. Walking into the kitchen, he spotted a sticky note on the door of the fridge.

_Eddward,_

_Your father and I have to attend an emergency meeting at the university. We won't be home until very late. There are leftovers in the fridge, as always. Don't stay up too late, alright?_

_Love, Mother._

Double D sighed. It seemed he was on his own again. As usual.

"Honestly, is it too much to ask for one family dinner every once in a while?"

_Well, at least they remembered to leave a prepared dinner this time. I was getting tired of having to make it myself. _

After eating his dinner and finishing his homework (which, of course, didn't take very long at all), Double D found himself with very little to do. He decided to read, though it would be difficult to find a scientific information encyclopedia he had yet to read in the house.

As expected, Edd couldn't find one book he had yet to read.

"Well, darn. Isn't there- OW!"

Off of the top of the bookshelf in his father's office, a worn hardcover novel had slipped out of its spot and landed on the unsuspecting boy's head.

"What on earth was _that?_" Double D exclaimed, picking up the novel for a better look. A faded red cover with a golden design had landed on his head. In dull golden letters the title read:

_The Princess Bride, by William Goldman._

"Is this... an adventure novel? Why on earth would a physics professor have an adventure novel in his home office?" Edd mused, opening to the title page. In dated blue ink, there was a note:

_To Farley-_

_I hope that your Buttercup finds this book to be as much of a treasure as you do._

_Signed,_

_William Goldman._

"... Buttercup? My mother's name is Lynda! Who on earth is Buttercup?"

Intrigued, the hat-wearer kept reading.

_Chapter 1: The Bride._

As Double D read on, he realized that 'Buttercup' was the main character of the story, and by 'your Buttercup', the author had meant his soul mate, most likely referring to his mother.

Edd had never been much of a fan of adventure novels, but there was something about this one's plot, it's characters, and its sly humor that made it impossible for him to put it down. By the time he paused to look at the time, it was nearing midnight.

"Good lord! Have I really been reading for that long? I'd better get ready for bed!"

After a quick shower and a change into his night clothes, Edd settled down into his bed, ready to drift off into sleep.

_I wonder if I'll ever find someone that's perfect for me... like Wesley and Buttercup..._

Just as Double D was about to slip into unconsciousness, Eddy's face flashed into his mind.

"GAAH!" He screamed, sitting up in bed. "What... what the hell even _was _that? Why did I think of Eddy right after I wondered if I'd ever find my soul mate? I'm... I am _not _a homosexual!"

"_Of course not. That's why you're finding yourself falling in_ _love with your male best friend." _A voice said from out of nowhere.

Edd turned in all directions he could. "Who said that? Who's there?"

"_Just me." _In less than an instant, a glowing version of him appeared on the opposite side of his bed.

"Who... who are you?"

"_I'm you, of course. Or rather, I'm the part of you that is usually right when it comes to matters of the heart."_

"Matters of the- Now, see here... erm... me! I'm _not _falling for Eddy, because I'm not... I'm not gay! I can't be gay! It's simply not possible!"

The other Edd raised an eyebrow. "_Who are you trying to convince, you or me?"_

"Wha- You _are _me!"

The other Double D clucked his tongue. "_Look, Edd, you and I both know that there's nothing wrong or unnatural about homosexuality. Why, even the most intelligent of animals partake in-"_

"Of course I know that! But even if I was... you know, and I'm not saying I am, because I'm not, Eddy likes Nazz!"

"_Listen, Double D, just because Eddy probably won't return your feelings doesn't mean that they aren't real. As a man of science, you know you can't just stick your fingers in your ears and go 'La-la-la' and hope it goes away. It won't, and you have to accept that."_

Double D moaned. "Just go away! Leave me alone!"

The other Double D sighed. "_Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."_

Little did Double D know that on the other side of the cul-de-sac, a certain money-grubbing former scam artist was mulling over the exact same thing.

**A/N: Hee-hee! Time to begin** **writing the BL parts! And don't look at me like that, I was shipping Edd and Eddy before I knew what shipping or gay even meant!**

**And I had to include my favorite book in this! It would be **_**inconceivable **_**not to!**


	5. Holiday Graces

_**Note: Again, for the sake of moving things along, our story shall skip several months, specifically October and November. **_

Friday, December 16

**YAAAAAAAY!**

_Eh? What's got you so jolly, Ed?_

**It's the last day before holiday break, Ellie! Christmas is coming, and so is the big man!**

_Big... man? Oh dear god, Ed, please don't tell me you still believe in Santa Claus. You're almost seventeen, for cripes' sakes!_

**But I've seen him! Just ask Double D or Eddy or Kevin or Nazz or anybody! They've all seen him, too!**

_Ed, while I usually enjoy your child-like innocence, this time I draw the line. Things like Santa and magic simply are stories our parents tell us to keep us from misbehaving. I've known this since I was seven, and you ought to grow up, as you're almost fully grown. _

Miss Nielson, did something happen when you were seven that made you so disbelieving at such a young age?

_I don't mean to be rude, Miss Thatcher, but I believe my reasons for not believing in such rubbish are not any of your business.  
><em>

"~DECK THE HALLS WITH BALES OF HOLLY, FA LA LA LA LA, LA LA LA LA! TIS THE SEASON TO BE... erm... I forget how the rest of the song goes."

"Ed, stop singing before you give the whole neighborhood a headache!" Sarah yelled at her brother from the other side of the tree the two siblings were decorating for the holidays.

"Sarah, don't be unkind to your older brother."

Sarah sighed, partially from anger, partially from exasperation. After Ed's return from his brief running away, their mother had signed up their family for counseling, where the psychiatrist had had the _nerve _to claim that Ed hardly did anything wrong and Sarah was actually a spoiled brat. And her mother had believed him! So now the seventeen-year-old wasn't in trouble as often whereas the twelve-year-old was. With that in mind the youngest Gray stormed upstairs.

Like her daughter, the mother sighed. Darlene Gray only wanted one thing this Christmas: Her two kids to just get along for once. She loved them both dearly, and wished that they would at least be civil towards each other, at least some of the time.

As she was thinking that, Darlene lifted up the curtain of the window above the kitchen sink. Swirls of white blew harshly across a dark blue sky.

"Oh, dear, what a blizzard! I hope your father is alright coming home..."

"Don't worry, Mom, I'm sure he's just fine!"

As Ed attempted to calm their mother down, the doorbell rang.

"What on earth... Who could be out there in a storm like this?"

"I'll get it!" Ed called, running to the front door. "Hello?"

"S-Season's g-greetings, E-Ed..." A female, British voice stuttered.

Ellie stood shaking on the Grays' doorstep, soaked to the bone and covered in snow. Beside the freezing girl, a brown suitcase was also partially soaked, probably ruining parts of whatever was in there.

"E... ELLIE? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I-If I said I w-was d-doing a t-test run f-for Father Ch-Christmas*, w-would you b-believe me?"

"Ed, sweetie, who's at the- OH MY GOD!" Darlene had seen a lot of odd things in her time raising her 'special' son, but she never expected a teenage girl who had to nearly be frozen solid to appear on her doorstep.

"H-Hullo, ma'am. Y-You must b-be Ed's mother. My n-name is-"

"We'll have plenty of time for pleasantries when you're not in danger of freezing to death, dear! Ed, go down to the basement and get all the extra blankets you can carry, and be quick about it!"

"Yes ma'am!" The tall teen yelled, fleeing down the stairs. Meanwhile, Darlene brought the nearly frozen girl and her wet luggage, bringing her upstairs to find something the poor young lady could change out of her soaked clothes into, finding one of her old maternity shirts and a small pair of sweatpants that were more likely Sarah's which were put in her room by mistake, and also taking a pair of underpants from Sarah's room so she didn't have to wear cold and icy undergarments. After the girl had been changed into dry clothes, Darlene sat her down on the couch, wrapping her in the blankets Ed had retrieved from basement storage (they were thankfully less dusty than she had anticipated).

"Now, darling, what is your name?" Darlene asked, heading to the kitchen to fix the girl a bowl of chicken soup.

"E-Ellie. Ellie N-Nielson."

Darlene paused. "Oh. So _you're _the Ellie that my son's been talking about," She said, smiling happily at the thought that she'd finally met her son's new friend, even if the circumstances weren't exactly ideal.

"E-Ed... talks about me?"

"Of course! In fact, sometimes we can't get him to shut up!" Darlene said, laughing as she glanced at the young Brit. She couldn't tell if the girl was red from the cold or from embarrassment.

"So, then, Ellie, why is it that you trudged at least, from the look of you, a mile in a raging blizzard, simply to end up at our house?"

Ellie was silent for a minute. Then she whispered, "I didn't know where else I could go, ma'am."

Darlene paused, not exactly sure what the girl meant by that she didn't know where else to go.

_Did... Did she run away from home or something? Ed did say that she often had arguments with her mother, especially since they've been in the states, but... for it to be bad enough for her to run away from home... _

Ellie stared at the carpet, trying to quicken the process of warming up her near-frozen body by thinking of the warmest things she could, and attempting to avoid thoughts of her-

_Oh, god bloody dammit! Thanks a load, sub-conscious!_

Ellie sighed, then sneezed loudly. Just as she was about to wipe her nose on her sleeve, Darlene came with a hot bowl of chicken soup and a jumbo box of tissues.

"Ah, thanks..." The Brit said, taking the box of tissues as the older woman set up a TV tray and put the bowl of soup on it.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, darling! Well, I'd better get back to finishing the dishes. Rest easy, dear."

Darlene headed back to the kitchen, ready to get back to work. As she did that, Ellie blew her nose and Sarah plopped down next to her on the couch, grabbing the remote and flipping through the channels, seeming not to notice the mound of blankets piled directly beside her.

"Um... hullo, there."

The red-headed girl glanced over at the pile of blankets beside her. "What the- ED! GET YOUR STUPID BLANKETS OFF THE COUCH!"

"Erm, not to be rude, but I sort of need these so I don't succumb to hypothermia..."

Sarah did a double-take when she saw the girl buried in the small mountain of fabric. "Oh, didn't see ya there."

"I sort of guessed that, thanks. Are you Ed's sister? I'm his friend Ellie. Ellie Nielson."

Sarah moaned and leaned back on the couch. "Jeez. I go upstairs for fifteen minutes and we get a foreign visitor. What the hell is with that?"

Ellie laughed weakly, then began to cough.

Just then, the door opened, letting in small swirls of frozen water and a quick blast of cold air.

"I'm home!" A male voice called from the doorway, slipping inside the house and shutting it quickly. Ellie marveled that, if Ed wore glasses and had brown eyes, this man would be Ed at around age forty.

"Welcome home, darling!" Darlene called from the kitchen.

It was only after hanging up his coat did Jerry Gray notice the unusual pile of fabric that loomed on his couch.

"Um... honey?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Is... is there a particular _reason _that there's a giant mass of blankets on our couch?"

"Hullo, sir." The blankets appeared (at least from where Jerry was standing) to say.

Jerry stood dumbstruck for a second, then said shakily, "My god, my son and his friends managed to bring something to life, didn't they?"

He could hear Sarah slap a hand to her forehead on the other side of the couch. "OMG, Dad..."

The blankets shifted a bit, revealing a flushed dirty-blond-haired girl to be wrapped in them.

"No, sir, it's only me. I'm Ellie Nielson, a friend of Ed's."

The ginger-haired man lifted a finger and opened his mouth as if to say something, but was quickly interrupted by his wife.

"D-Darling, can I speak with you for a second?" She said, pushing him into a nearby hallway.

"A runaway?"

"I believe so. When I asked her why she came to our house, she told me that she didn't know where else to go. Either she was kicked out of her home, which is unlikely, or she ran away. In any case, the poor dear was half-frozen to death by the time she got here. Let's let her stay, even if just for a little while."

"Well, alright, but I do think that we should alert the police. Her mother might-"

Darlene cut him off with her signature death stare, the one that said, _Keep going. I dare you._

"O-Or we could not do that..." Jerry said, laughing nervously.

"Great idea, sweetheart!"

Meanwhile, as the two parents were conversing, Ed sat down on the lazy chair closest to the couch.

"So..." He started, "Um... why are you-"

"At your home?" Ellie finished for him.

"Yeah, that."

Ellie remained silent for a moment. "My... My mum and I had another fight again."

"So? What was so bad about this one?"

"I... really told her off this time. I called her out on being the selfish, greedy, miserable excuse for both a woman and a mother she truly is. Ed... you must understand, I did have my reasons for saying that."

Ed nodded hesitantly. By this point, even Sarah had found this interesting enough to turn off the TV and listen.

"My mum wants to move again. To Denver."

"You mean, she wants to move all the way out to Colorado?" Sarah asked, sounding incredulous.

"That is correct. You see, the whole reason that we moved to California in the first place is because Mum was only thinking of herself. When she told me we were moving halfway 'round the world, she said that this was a great opportunity for her, and I should be a good girl, keep quiet, and do as she said. She said the exact same thing when she said we were going to move to Denver."

Ellie paused. Silence filled the room, accompanied by an air of sympathy and pity for the girl.

"H-Her..." Ellie said, a quiver filling her voice, "Her selfish attitude is the reason that my father... Th-The reason my father divorced her when I was seven years old. He told me that h-he wanted to attain c-custody of m-me, but a s-simple farm boy like him w-was n-no match f-for a lawyer like my mum."

At this point, Ellie was openly crying, shaking in the blankets. Suddenly, a large pair of arms wrapped themselves around her.

"E-Ed?"

"Shh. No more crying. You'll be okay, Ellie."

"E-Ed... Th-Thank you!"

**A/N: Well, this chapter's a little sad, ain't it? My apologies ^^'**

***= Father Christmas: The Common name for Santa Claus in England.**


	6. Rolling in the Deep

**Note: There won't be journals in this chapter, just action!**

After Christmas and New Year's, the group (Double D and Eddy were made aware of Ellie's situation), the rag-tag foursome roamed the streets of the downtown near their Washington suburban town. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the holidays, not many businesses were open and not a lot of people were out and about.

"Dude, this sucks! There's nothing to do!" Eddy complained in that loud voice of his.

"Eddy, may I remind you that this was _your_idea?" Double D commented rolling his eyes.

"Well, I didn't know it would be this-" Suddenly, the loudmouth stopped, staring at a sign.

"Eddy, what are you looking at?" Ed asked. Wordlessly, the former scam artist pointed to a sign that had printed on it: _**Karaoke **__**Night,**__**5-10**_

"... Karaoke?"

Eddy turned to his friends, a devilish grin spreading across his face. "You guys thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Ed's hand shot up in the air. "Ooh ooh! Pick me, Eddy!"

"I'm probably gonna regret this, but... Lumpy?"

"Are you thinking about Space Aliens that want to use our oceans as fuel for their planet?"

Eddy looked at his idiotic pal, impressed even after all these of Ed's stupidity. Double D simply face-palmed.

"How on Earth are aliens relevant to the conversation?" Ellie asked, not expecting a real answer.

"Aaannyway, as I was sayin', I was thinkin' we could go in there and laugh at all the losers who showed up!"

"Ooh, I like this idea. Let's go!" Ellie exclaimed.

Oddly for the time of year, the karaoke joint was nearly filled to capacity. The four were lucky enough to snag a table close enough to the stage to get a good view, but not so close that they were basically being screamed at. Right as they sat down, a bleach-blond girl who looked to be in her twenties took the stage.

"Hi, everybody! My name's Heather, and tonight I'm gonna sing 'Your Love Is My Drug' by Ke$ha!" She announced in a high-pitched nasally voice.

"Oh god, kill me so I don't have to listen to this harpy screech a terrible song by a crack-head at us…" Ellie mumbled.

"_Maybe __I __need __some __rehab, __or __maybe __just __need __some __sleep. __I __got __a __sick __obsession; __I__'__m __seeing __it i__n __my __dreams__…"_

Ellie was surprisingly accurate when she compared the girl to a harpy. If Double D and Eddy hadn't held him down, Ed might've attacked the girl, claiming she was an alien sent to destroy all their brains. Ellie found this hilarious.

"Eleanor? Is that you, love?"

Immediately, Ellie quieted, recognizing the voice and groaning internally. "What are you doing here, Ethan?"

The tall brunette man smiled, running a hand through his hair. "Well, I live here now. I go to a nearby college. How 'bout you, love? What brings you to the states, eh?"

Ellie grimaced, looking away. "I don't believe that's any of your business. And stop calling me 'love', because you obviously don't feel that way towards me anymore, if you ever did."

"Aw, c'mon, Eleanor, that was almost a year ago! You can't still be pissed about-"

"Oh, right. I shouldn't be pissed that, after a whole damn year, you dumped me and ran off to Vegas with some blonde bimbo the minute you graduated from high school."

Ethan sighed. "Look, I know that was really a dick move on my part, but-"

"You're damn right it was a dick move! God, I can't believe I defended you whenever Elle told me how much of a mingebag you were!"

The three boys watched this exchange in silence, unsure of what was going on here. Who was this Ethan, and how did he know Ellie? And why was he calling her Eleanor? They knew for a fact that she hated being called Eleanor.

At that moment, the blonde harpy finished her song, getting off the stage as a few people clapped politely.

"Alright, who's next?" The DJ said. Ellie shot a quick glare at Ethan, and then walked on stage. Quickly she whispered something in the DJ's ear, and then took the mike.

"Hullo, all. My name's Ellie and I'd like to dedicate this number to a _very_special friend of mine. Make sure to listen up, Ethan."

A familiar drum beat started, and Ellie took a deep breath.

"_There__'__s __a__fire,_

_Starting in my heart,_

_Reaching a fever pitch _

_And it's bringin' me out the dark._

_Finally, I can see you crystal clear._

_Go ahead and sell me out_

_And I'll lay your shit bare.  
><em>

_See how I leave with every piece of you,_

_Don't underestimate the things that I will do._

_There's a fire,_

_Starting in my heart,_

_Reaching a fever pitch_

_And it's bringin' me out the dark.  
><em>

_The scars of your love_

_Remind me of us,_

_They keep me thinkin'_

_That we almost had it all._

_The scars of your love_

_They leave me breathless_

_I can't help feelin'  
><em>

_We could've had it all! (You're gonna wish you, never had met me)_

_Rolling in the Deep! (Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)_

_You had my heart inside of your hand (You're gonna wish you, never had met me)_

_And you played it (Tears are gonna fall)_

_To the beat (Rolling in the Deep).  
><em>

_Baby, I have no story to be told,_

_But I've heard one of you,_

_And I'm gonna make your head burn_

_Think of me in the depths of your despair,_

_Make a home down there_

_As mine sure won't be shared…"_

At this point, most of the club was clapping along to the beat. Despite how diverse the crowd was, there was one thing they _all_could agree on: Ellie was one talented singer. Even Ethan, who was currently attempting to make himself invisible, couldn't deny that fact.

"_Throw your soul through every open door,_

_Count your blessings to find what you look for._

_Turn my sorrow into treasured gold,_

_You'll pay me back in kind_

_And reap just what you sow!  
><em>

_We could've had it all…_

_We could've had it all…_

_It all, it all, it all…_

_We could've had it all!_

_Rolling in the Deep!_

_You had my heart inside of your hand,_

_And you played it, to the beat._

_Could've had it all,_

_Rolling in the Deep,_

_You had my heart inside of your hand,_

_But you played it, ya played it, ya played it_

_To the beat."_

A huge cheer went up from the crowd as the song ended. Ellie smirked, stepping off stage and walking up to Ethan, who looked extremely mortified.

"Oh, and by the by, fuck you." Ellie dead-panned, flipping her ex the bird.

Ethan took the opportunity to leave right after, looking very much like he wanted the ground to swallow him up.

"And that, boys, is how you get revenge on a douchebag." Ellie stated, plopping back down in the booth.

"… So was he your ex-boyfriend or what?" Eddy asked.

Ellie raised a quizzical eyebrow. "I would think that was obvious, but yes. We dated last year, but he dumped me when he graduated."

"Wow. What a jerk."

"That's not even the worst of it. After we broke up I found out he'd been seeing some bimbo behind my back for half our relationship, and he married her. Made me wish I'd listen to Elle for once in my life."

Ellie took a swig of her root beer. "Aah. Well, fuck him and his stupid little wife! I'm not gonna mope over it anymore!"

Double D smiled, though on the inside concern took over his thoughts. If he had interpreted the conversation, the song, and Ellie's demeanor correctly, Ethan had been very important to her, perhaps even her first love, from what he could tell. He had no idea about love personally, but from what he had been told about it he knew that love was a very powerful emotion. Could one truly shrug of the pain of betrayal that easily, especially when the betrayer was one's first love?

_That's not possible. I'm sure that kind of emotional pain wouldn't be easily forgotten, much less forgiven. If Eddy were to betray me like that- WAIT WHAT AM I THINKING?_

Double shook his head, abandoning the thought, since it would lead him to places he really didn't want to go.

"Excuse me, Miss… Ellie, was it?"

The dirty blond looked up, her eyes filled with disinterest. "Can I help you, sir?"

The man was tall, fifty-ish from the looks of it. His face was slightly wrinkled and his salt-and-pepper hair was slicked back. Out of the inside of his suit jacket he produced a business card.

"My name's Doug Regal. I represent Crown Records, and you're probably one of the best singers I've heard in a long time, missy. I'd really appreciate it if you'd consider setting up an appointment and recording a few numbers for us."

Ellie nearly spat out her root beer. "U-Uh…"

Suddenly, Eddy snatched up the man's card. "We'll get back to ya. Pleasure meeting you, sir."

Regal nodded, looking slightly confused but pleased. Without another word, he left the group.

"Eddy," Edd started, his tone bordering on scolding, "What on earth was that?"

"What? Just cuz I gave up scams don't mean I'm not still a damn fine business man. Stick with me, kid. We'll getcha the best contract they can give us!"

"Hey, guys? I don't think Ellie's awake right now."

At that moment, Ellie moaned and passed out on the table.

**A/N:**

**Okay.**

**IM SO SORRY I'VE NOT UPDATED IN SO LONG THAT WAS AWFUL OF ME PLEASE DON'T BE MAD!**

**kay, I'm good.**


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